Namely, he isn't the first person named Cam Newton to play for the Panthers.

"I'm the original Cam Newton – or at least I like to think so," the lesser-known Newton said.

While Cameron Jerrell Newton took the NFL by storm after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Cameron Lamark Newton's arrival five years ago was a much quieter affair.

A safety, Newton joined the Panthers near the end of the 2006 season, after the Atlanta Falcons terminated him from their practice squad. He then spent the entire offseason with the Panthers before being released in the final roster cutdown in 2007, effectively ending his NFL career after two seasons.

Newton the safety wondered if Newton the quarterback knew of him. He did, after all, play on and off for the Falcons for two years while Newton the quarterback was attending high school in Atlanta.

"I definitely remember Cam - he played on defense," the Panthers' quarterback said of his namesake. "I don't remember much about him, but I remember being really surprised seeing someone playing for the Falcons with my name.